Rail-anchor.



A. L. STANFORD.

RAIL ANCHOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7, 1914.

1,129,81 6. Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. L. STANFORD RAIL xenon.

APPLICATION FILED JAIL 7, 1914- 1,129,816. Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

2 SHBETS-SHEET Z.

' anchor in the position usrrno sTA'rEs PATENT orrroa ARTHUR L fiT'ANFOBD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIE.

RAIL-ANCHOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

Application filed January 7, 1914. Serial 50.810353.

One of the objects of the present invention is to produce a device of the character specified which will be automatic in its action; that is, which will increase its gripping force upon the rail in proportion and in correspondence to the force of the strain exerted tending to causc'the rail to creep.

Further objects of the invention are to provide the anchor with an auxiliary holding device which will-serve to bind one side of the anchor to the rail, whereby the creepin actio j of the rail will move the opposite si es of the anchor in opposite directions around a center of movement, and thus increasing its position of angularity, and increasing its gripping action to resist creep ing of the rail; to produce a device which is of a unitary or one-piece construction with the exception of the overhanging portion of one jaw; to provide a simple and eflicient means for creating the auxiliary hold upon the rail referred to, which means will serve as an overhanging portion of one jaw; to form a tic-abutting member, as well as the gripping surfaces of the anchor, of a curvilinear forznation, making substantial contact between the gripping surfaces of the anchor and the rail at all times; to form the device in a manner whereby it is cheap and simple of manufacture and easy of installation; to so configure the body of the anchor as to enable it to assume its canting or oblique position without interference by contact with the tie; and 'to so form the auxiliary holding device as to have it im crease its hold as the rail tends to move.

The invention further consists in thefeatures of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section of a rail with the anchor of the present in rention in operative position thereon; Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the rail and they assume when inirail-abutting tially installed; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the anchor in the position it assumes when thrown to a canting or clamping position; Fig. 4 is a section on'line 4-4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 is a perspective of the body portion of the anchor; and Fig. 6 iso perspective of the auxiliary holding member.

In the art to which the present invention relates, it is the design of the various devices to prevent what is known as the creeping of the rail, such creeping, owing to an unexplained phenomenon, being in the direction of travel of the rolling stock over the rail. The undesirability of such creeping is well known to those conversant in railroad work,- and the desirability of means for ing such creeping is acknowledged.

The anchor of the present invention, as before briefly stated, is intended to be of the preventform or nature which is automatic in its action; that is, it assumes a position whereb its holding or clamping action on the rail is increased automatically and in pro ortion to the strain or force exerted on t e rail, tending to produce the creeping action, whereby the greater the force exerted the greater will be the resisting action of'the' anchor to counteract such force.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, the device is illustrated in connection with a rail 7 of'the usual andwell known type. The anchor consists of a body portion 8 composed of a horizontally extending plate-like section 9 which underlies the base of the rail and extends transversely of the rail, and the section 9 terminates in one end in a jaw IO'having. an overhanging portion 10 adapted to extend and engage the upper face of the base of the rail, and the opposite end of the section 9 terminates in an upwardly extending lug. 11 which has a recess 12 therethrough, the function of which will be more clearly hereinafter explained. tion 9 are vertically extending strengthening flanges 13,-a portion 14 of one of which is larger than portion of the device. A railgripping surface 15' is located at one end of the section 9 and is'a' portion of the jaw 10, and a rail-gripping surface 16 is lo'-,

Depending from the sec' the remainder, and forms the cated at the opposite end of the said section andv is a portion of a jaw lG. These railgripping surfaces 15 and 16 are. arranged and adapted to-ongage the side edges of the F Fig. 3. This will tend base of the rail, and, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, are curvilinear in formation. As will be observed from the drawings, one portion of one side 17 of the body of the anchor is cut away, reducing the transverse dimension of the anchor at one end thereof,

diagonal position necessary to effect the rail-anchoring function. The recess 12 in the lug 11 receives a circular portion 18 of an auxiliary holding device 19, which deviceis in the form of a pin or stez and consists of the circular portion 18, nu -eccentrio head 20, and a polygonal-shaped end 21, which latter end may be in the form of an integral portion of the pin or stem, as in Figs. 1, 2, and 6, or may consist of a nut threaded onto the stem, as in Fig, 3. In fact any surface is contemplated which is capable of receiving some suitable form of tool or Wrench for turning the said holding device.

To place the anchor in position upon the rai the stem or pin 19 is removed and the anchor slipped in place in an obvious manner. The pin or stem is then repositioned and the device will then appear as in Fig. 2, and when the stem or pin 19 is so .positioned, it will constitute the overhanging portion of the jaw 16 performing in this respect the same function as the overhang ing portion 10. lVhen this has been done, the anchor is driven by a suitable driving tool into slanting or diagonal position, as to cant the device in a manner whereby the gripping surfaces 15 and 16 Will be brought into biting en-' gagement With the sides of the rail flanges, as .Will b obvious from the drawings. When the anchor has been thus positioned, an initiatory grip is placed upon. the rail, which is suliicient to enable the anchor to operate at once to resist the creeping tendency. After the anchor has been so positioned, the pin or stem 19 will be turned so as to bring the eccentric head 20 into a firm engagement with the upper surface of the base of th rail. This will create an auxiliary hold upon the rail at this point, so that the anchor will obtain a firmer initiatory hold upon that side of the rail than upon the opposite side. It is, of course, not contemplated that this holding devicewill in any way serve materially to hold the rail against creeping. Its function and ofiice is as follows: When the strain comes upon the rail "tending to make it creep, the tie-abutting surfaceii'. being already in engagement with thetie, the side of the anchor upon which such tieabutment is located cannot inove with th rail, so there is a positive stop on this side of the anchor. The other side of the anchor, however, is free to move with the rail, and the auxiliary-holding device is provided on this side to insure its opposed rail-gripping moving with the rail, so there is side of the anchor held against movement with the rail, and the other side mov ng with the rail. The result will be a swin l movement of the anchor about the of engagement of the tie-abutment with the which permits the anchor to move into the tie; that is, the vie-abutment ll rock on the face of the tie, whereby the anchor will assume a greater degree angularity. This will result in an increase in the action of the anchor, and obviously the more strain exerted tending to carry the aforesaid one side of the anchor forward, the greater will be the gripping action of the rail-gripping surfaces, due to the increased position of angularity of the anchor. The above described characteristics of the degice make the action of the anchor automatic.

By reason of the curvilinear surfaces of the rail-gripping devices and the rail abutting member, the point of engagement between the abutting member and the tie, and the point of engagement between such gripping surfaces and the rail will change but little; that is, all of these surfaces being curvilinear they will rock along the sur faces with which they engage, whereby the action will be smooth and the extent of engagement between such nienibersand such surfaces Will be changed but slightly. That is, the curvilinear gripping surfaces insure a sufiicient amount of contact between the gripping surfaces and the rail at all times to insure a sufiicient grip, the degree of contact between the gripping surfaces and the rail never reaching such a small degree as to impair the eliiciency of the gripping action. The arrangement of the head 20 is such, as will be obvious from the drawings, as to cause said head to rotate as the rail moves, and hence brought into firmer engagement with the rail.

from the spirit of the present invention.

provided it is maintained Within the scope Y of the appended claims.

I claun: V 1. In a rail anchor. the combination of a bod portion having opposed rail gripping sur aces, and a tie abutment formed inteand bind that side of the anchor to the rail,

and said'holding device having its center of rotation extending substantially to the slope. of the upper face of the the rail, substantially as described.

2. In a rail anchor, the combination of a body portion embodying a tie abutment and resilient auxiliary holding device carried upon the opposite side of the said body portion from that on which the tie abutment is gripping The device is, of course, sue ceptible of modification without departing parallelv baseof surfaces, and a non located, said holding device being adapted to enga e the upper-face ofthe base of the rail and bind that side of the anchor to the rail, said body being of decreased width at that side upon which said auxiliary holding device is located, whereby such side is held free from engagement with the tie, substantially as described.

3. In a rail anchor, the combination of a body portion embodying rail-gripping surfaces and a tie abutment, and a non-resilient auxiliary holding device carried upon one side of the body portion embodying an eccentric head arranged to bear against the upper face of the rail base and bind that side of the anchor to the rail, and said holding device having a horizontally disposed axis of rotation, substantially as described.

4. In a rail anchor, the combination of a body portion embodying a tie abutment and opposed rail-gripping surfaces, a non-resilient auxiliary holding device carried upon one side of said body portion and embodying an eccentric head adapted to engage the upper face of the rail base and bind that side of the anchor to the rail, said body being of decreased width at that side upon which said auxiliary holding device is lo cated, substantial as described.

5. In a rail anc or, the combination of a body portion embodying rail-gripping surfaces and a tie abutment, an upwardly extending lug upon one side of said body portion, a stem rotatably mounted'in said lug terminating at one end in an eccentric head arranged to engage the upper surface of the rail base and terminating at its other end in a polygonal surface to receive an operating tool, said head constitutin a non-resilient auxiliary holding device or binding one side of the anchor to the rail, substantially as described.

6. In a rail anchor, the combination of a body portion embodying rail-gripping surfaces and a tie abutment, an upwardly extending 111g upon one side of said body portion, a stem rotatably mounted in said lug and terminating at one end in an eccentric head arranged to engage the upper surface of the rail base and terminating at its other end in a polygonal surface to receive an operating tool, said head constituting a nonresilient auxiliary holding device for binding one side of the anchor to the rail, said body being of decreased width at that side upon which said'auxiliary holdingdevice is located, substantially as described.

In a rail anchor, the combination of a body portion embodying curved rail-gripping surfaces and a curved tie abutment, and a non-resilient auxiliary holding device carried upon one side of the body porface of the rail base to bind one side of the anchor to the rail, said body being of decreased width at that side upon which said auxiliary holding device is located, substantially as described.

9. In a rail anchor, the combination of a body portion embodying curved rail-gripping surfaces and a curved tie abutment, an upwardly extending lug upon one side of said body portion, a stem rotatably mounted in said lug, and terminating at one end in an eccentric head arranged to engage the upper surface of the rail flange and terminating at its other end in a polygonal surface to receive an operating tool, said head constituting a non-resilient auxiliary holding device for binding one side of the anchor to the rail, substantially as described.

10. In a rail anchor, the combination of a body portion embodying curved rail-gripping surfaces and a curved tie abutment, an upwardly extending lug upon one side of said body portion, a stem rotatably mounted in said lug, and terminating at one end in an eccentric head arranged to engage the upper surface of the rail flange and terminating at its other end in a polygonal surface to receive an operating tool, said head constituting a non-resilient auxiliary holding device for binding one side of the anchor to the rail, said body being of decreased width at that side upon which said auxiliary holding device is located, substantially as described.

11. In a rail anchor, the combination of a body portion, oppositely disposed jaws, a tie abutment integral with the body, opposed railgripping surfaces embodied in said and formed integral with the body portion, a one piece rotatable non-resilient auxiliary holding device on one side of the anchor, said holding device having its center of rotation extending substantially parallel to the slope of the upper face of the rail base, said holding device forming the overhanging portion of one of said jaws, the overhanging portion of the other jaw being integral with the body, substantially as described.

ARTHUR L. STANFORD. Witnesses:

\VM. P. Bonn, TnoMAs A. BANNINo, Jr. 

